Short answer
Use pairs of picture and word cards to prompt learners to retrieve vocabulary they have already studied. In S06E13, Em describes matching as a useful review activity because learners see and repeat the words while trying to find the pairs.
A matching game may take time, and brand-new vocabulary can be difficult if learners have not met the words before. Teach or introduce the items first, then use matching to revisit them and prompt further conversation.
Try this in your next lesson
Choose four familiar words and four clear pictures. Learners match them, say each word and use two in a short exchange.
👇 Scroll down for our practical checklist or activity and download.
Listen to the whole S06E13 discussion in our podcast episode guide here🔊.
Set up the pairs
Make one set of picture cards and another set with the matching words. Place the cards face down so learners turn over two at a time and try to find a pair.
Use it for retrieval
If learners have already met the words, each turn gives them another chance to remember and repeat them. You can use familiar vocabulary, or teach new items before the game so learners have a fair chance of recognising the words.
Let the topic lead to speaking
After a match, ask a question about the picture or word. In the episode, Gav matches desserts with countries, which leads to conversation about the foods and learners’ experiences. The activity can be spoken or virtual too.
Distinguish matching from a memory game
The episode starts with face-down picture and word pairs, then moves to Gav’s spoken dessert-and-country matching. Those are related but different tasks. In the later N episode we clarify that matching is the wider category; pelmanism is the face-down memory-game version. Decide which aim you want before preparing the cards.
For our classroom adaptation, begin with four familiar picture-word pairs face up. Check meanings, then turn them over only if a memory challenge adds something useful. After a match, ask for a sentence or question using the word. Online, numbered images and a short word list can work without a complex platform. If learners spend more time remembering card positions than using English, reveal the cards and return to meaning.
Our suggested classroom adaptation of the episode discussion.
Gav and Em suggest: make the match lead somewhere
- ☐ Use vocabulary learners have already met.
- ☐ Ask for the match before giving the answer.
- ☐ After each match, ask one question about the picture or word.
- ☐ Keep the set small enough to avoid a long memory test.
- ☐ Finish by using two or three words in conversation.
📥 Download the free teacher practice card (PDF)
Related teaching ideas
📚 Take a Look at More Related Articles on Grammar, Vocabulary, Error Correction & Inclusive Language